Fuser for an electrophotographic imaging device to maintain a high fuser belt temperature

Abstract

A fuser for an electrophotographic imaging device according to one embodiment includes a stationary pressure member having an elongated body with an outer surface. The pressure member is substantially transparent and/or substantially translucent and permits the passage of radiant heat therethrough. An endless fusing belt having a flexible tubular configuration is rotatably positioned about the pressure member. The pressure member is positioned around a heating lamp for transmitting radiant heat through the pressure member to an inner surface of the fusing belt. A backup roll opposes the fusing belt. The pressure member is configured to apply pressure contact to the fusing belt against the backup roll to form a fuser nip between the backup roll and a segment of the fusing belt.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A fuser for an electrophotographic imaging device, comprising:
 a stationary pressure member having an elongated body that includes an outer surface, the pressure member being one of substantially transparent and substantially translucent and permits the passage of radiant heat therethrough; 
 an endless fusing belt having a flexible tubular configuration rotatably positioned about the pressure member; 
 a heating lamp for transmitting radiant heat through the pressure member to an inner surface of the fusing belt, the pressure member being positioned around the heating lamp; and 
 a backup roll opposing the fusing belt, wherein the pressure member is configured to apply pressure contact to the fusing belt against the backup roll to form a fuser nip between the backup roll and a segment of the fusing belt; 
 wherein the outer surface of the pressure member includes a length-wise concave segment. 
 
     
     
       2. The fuser of  claim 1 , wherein the outer surface of the pressure member includes a substantially planar length-wise segment. 
     
     
       3. The fuser of  claim 2 , wherein the fuser nip is formed along the substantially planar segment. 
     
     
       4. The fuser of  claim 2 , wherein the outer surface of the pressure member includes a plurality of additional substantially planar length-wise segments. 
     
     
       5. The fuser of  claim 1 , wherein the fuser nip is formed along the length-wise concave segment, the concave segment contacting the endless fusing belt. 
     
     
       6. The fuser of  claim 1 , wherein the outer surface of the pressure member includes a plurality of additional length-wise concave segments. 
     
     
       7. The fuser of  claim 1 , wherein the backup roll is matably aligned with the concave segment. 
     
     
       8. A fuser for an electrophotographic imaging device, comprising:
 a stationary pressure member having an elongated body that includes an outer surface, the pressure member being one of substantially transparent and substantially translucent and permits the passage of radiant heat therethrough; 
 an endless fusing belt having a flexible tubular configuration rotatably positioned about the pressure member; 
 a heating lamp for transmitting radiant heat through the pressure member to an inner surface of the fusing belt, the pressure member being positioned around the heating lamp; and 
 a backup roll opposing the fusing belt, wherein the pressure member is configured to apply pressure contact to the fusing belt against the backup roll to form a fuser nip between the backup roll and a segment of the fusing belt; 
 wherein the elongated body of the pressure member includes a length-wise cutout therein to permit the heating lamp to transmit radiant heat directly to a portion of an inner surface of the fusing belt without passing through the pressure member. 
 
     
     
       9. The fuser of  claim 8 , wherein the outer surface of the pressure member includes a length-wise segment that is one of substantially planar and concave. 
     
     
       10. The fuser of  claim 1 , wherein the outer surface of the pressure member includes a length-wise convex segment formed between two concave length-wise segments. 
     
     
       11. The fuser of  claim 1 , wherein the pressure member is comprised of at least one of quartz and glass. 
     
     
       12. A fuser for an electrophotographic imaging device, comprising:
 a stationary pressure member having an elongated rounded tubular body being one of substantially transparent and substantially translucent and permits the passage of radiant heat therethrough, an outer surface of the tubular body having a length-wise segment that is one of substantially planar and concave; 
 an endless fusing belt having a flexible tubular configuration rotatably positioned about the pressure member and spaced outwardly therefrom; 
 a heating lamp for transmitting radiant heat through the pressure member to an inner surface of the fusing belt, the pressure member being positioned around the heating lamp; and 
 a backup roll opposing the fusing belt, wherein the pressure member is configured to apply pressure contact to the fusing belt against the backup roll along the length-wise segment of the pressure member to form a fuser nip between the backup roll and a segment of the fusing belt; 
 wherein the outer surface of the tubular body includes at least one additional length-wise segment that is one of substantially planar and concave, the at least one additional length-wise segment and the length-wise segment being spaced apart from each other. 
 
     
     
       13. The fuser of  claim 12 , wherein said length-wise segment and said at least one additional length-wise segment have substantially the same dimensions. 
     
     
       14. The fuser of  claim 12 , wherein the outer surface of the tubular body includes a length-wise convex segment. 
     
     
       15. The pressure member of  claim 12 , wherein the body is comprised of at least one of quartz and glass. 
     
     
       16. A pressure member for a fuser of an electrophotographic imaging device, comprising:
 an elongated body that is at least one of substantially transparent and substantially translucent and permits the passage of radiant heat therethrough; 
 wherein an outer surface of the body has a non-circular cross-section and a plurality of length-wise segments selected from the group consisting of substantially planar and concave, each length-wise segment being spaced apart from each other along the outer surface of the elongated body. 
 
     
     
       17. The pressure member of  claim 16 , wherein the outer surface of the body includes a length-wise cutout therein. 
     
     
       18. The pressure member of  claim 16 , wherein the outer surface of the body includes a length-wise convex segment. 
     
     
       19. The pressure member of  claim 16 , wherein the body is comprised of at least one of quartz and glass. 
     
     
       20. The fuser of  claim 1 , wherein the length-wise concave segment of the outer surface of the pressure member contacts the endless fusing belt. 
     
     
       21. The fuser of  claim 1 , wherein the outer surface of the pressure member includes at least one additional length-wise concave segment, the at least one additional length-wise concave segment being spaced apart from the length-wise concave segment along the outer surface. 
     
     
       22. The fuser of  claim 21 , wherein each length-wise concave segment has a different radius of curvature relative to others of the length-wise concave segments, each length-wise concave segment being dimensioned for contacting the endless fusing belt at the fuser nip. 
     
     
       23. The pressure member of  claim 16 , wherein the plurality of length-wise segments comprise concave segments, each length-wise concave segment having a different radius of curvature relative to others of the length-wise concave segments. 
     
     
       24. The fuser of  claim 12 , wherein the length-wise segment and the at least one additional length-wise segment are substantially planar and have different widths. 
     
     
       25. A fuser for an electrophotographic imaging device, comprising:
 a stationary pressure member having an elongated body that includes an outer surface, the pressure member being one of substantially transparent and substantially translucent and permits the passage of radiant heat therethrough; 
 an endless fusing belt having a flexible tubular configuration rotatably positioned about the pressure member; 
 a heating lamp for transmitting radiant heat through the pressure member to an inner surface of the fusing belt, the pressure member being positioned around the heating lamp; and 
 a backup roll opposing the fusing belt, wherein the pressure member is configured to apply pressure contact to the fusing belt against the backup roll to form a fuser nip between the backup roll and a segment of the fusing belt; 
 wherein the outer surface of the pressure member includes a plurality of substantially planar length-wise segments. 
 
     
     
       26. A fuser for an electrophotographic imaging device, comprising:
 a stationary pressure member having an elongated body that includes an outer surface, the pressure member being one of substantially transparent and substantially translucent and permits the passage of radiant heat therethrough; 
 an endless fusing belt having a flexible tubular configuration rotatably positioned about the pressure member; 
 a heating lamp for transmitting radiant heat through the pressure member to an inner surface of the fusing belt, the pressure member being positioned around the heating lamp; and 
 a backup roll opposing the fusing belt, wherein the pressure member is configured to apply pressure contact to the fusing belt against the backup roll to form a fuser nip between the backup roll and a segment of the fusing belt; 
 wherein the outer surface of the pressure member includes a length-wise convex segment formed between two substantially planar length-wise segments.